Paper towel roll holder



s. s. LEOTTA PAPER TOWEL ROLL HOLDER Dec. 31, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov; 30,. 1962 INVENTOR.

VJ SAM U E L S. LEOTTA ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 1963 S. S. LEOTTA PAPER TOWEL RbLL HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 30, 1962 1 'IIIIIIIIIIIII'lII/I I INVENTOR.

I SAMUEL S. LEOTTA ATTORNEY United States Patent ()1 3,116,030 PAPER TQWEIL RGLL HGLDER Samuel S. Leotta, Hatboro, Pan, assignor to Kimberly- Clark Corporation, Neenah, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 241,287 3 Claims. ll. 242F552) This invention relates to a holder or dispenser for rolled products, more particularly paper towels and the like in rolls such as are extensively used in homes, public washrooms and elsewhere.

Different holders of this general character are in use and objections to them are widely based, from cost, appearance, durability and so forth to efiiciency and convenience both as to keeping the towels readily available and as to replacing an exhausted roll with a fresh one.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide an improved roll holder which may be produced in quantity at reasonable cost while presenting an aesthetically pleasing appearance, having a long service life and adapted for mounting on a wall or other convenient support while requiring for insertion of a roll or removal of an exhausted one only the simplest of manipulations.

Another object is the provision of a roll holder comprising a minimum number of parts all of which preparatory to assembly may be molded from plastic ma.-

terials readily available in a wide range of colors.

A still further object is to provide a roll holder of the aforesaid character which may be folded compactly for shipment, is light in weight yet surliciently strong and durable when mounted on a wall or other appropriate support to serve its intended purpose substanatially indefinitely, and which is effective to exert slight yielding endwise pressure upon a contained roll of paper obviating overrunning of the roll when the paper is being stripped therefrom.

Yet another object is to provide in a roll holder novel means for hingedly connecting the roll-supporting wings with the body of the holder and for yieldingly biasing the wings oppositely inward toward the roll when the latter is disposed in the holder.

Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear or be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of it illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the holder as it appears when secured to a suitable support (not shown) and ready to receive a roll of paper towels or the like;

FIG. 2 is a top plan of the holder on a slightly smaller scale secured to a wall with a typical roll mounted in the holder as indicated in broken lines;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary rear view of the holder;

FIG. 4 a fragmentary horizontal section on line 4-4 in FIG. 3, these two figures showing that portion of the holder which extends from approximately its vertical center line to one end; like views from that line to the other end would substantially correspond to mirror images of said figures since the holder is symmetrical with respect to it.

1G. 5 is a vertical section on 5-45 in FIG. 3;

H6. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary detail section on line 6 6 in FIG. 5;

FlG. 7 is a similarly enlarged fragmentary end detail view of one of the fastening elements illustrated in Fl 6, and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section on line 8-8 in FIG. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the holder therein shown comprises in general a plurality of Fallhfidh Patented Dec. 31, 1963 ice 2 cooperative parts, readily moldable from thermoplastic materials, including a frame 1, flanged along its longitudinal edges, adjacent the extremities of which are hingedly mounted wings 2, 3 each having an inwardly turned flange about its perimeter cooperative with liners 4,5 'espectively which present oppositely inwardly projecting bosses 7, 3 adapted to enter the corresponding ends of the tubular core of a roll R of paper toweling or the like.

More specifically, frame 1 base a relatively thin front face in substantially flat medially of its ends and pierced by, preferably countersunk, holes ill, 12 for reception of screws S for securing the holder to a wall W or other support. Toward each end the frame curves angularly forward and carries transversely spaced axially aligned oppositely outwardly directed pivot pins 13, 14; at transversely spaced points inwardly of these pins the frame is split longitudinally from its extremities to define an integral relatively flexible leaf l5 extending about midway between its edges. Each of the wings 2, 3 is formed to provide near the end to be hinged to the frame oppositely inwardly directed modified U-shaped sockets 16, 17 opening toward the opposite end of the wing into which the pins can be entered during assembly for subsequent securement therein by portions of liners 4, 5 as hereinafter described.

Between sockets in, 1'7 and aligned with leaf 15 each wing likewise has an integral angularly directed finger l8 projecting from its peripheral flange adapted to engage a boss 19 on the rear face of the leaf near its free end so that as the wing is opened outwardly about its hinge the finger ultimately engages re boss and further movement thereafter is yieldingly resisted as the leaf is increasingly flexed until the limit of movement of the wing is attained on contact of its flange 2% with the ends of the frame outwardly of the finger, the wing then coming to rest substantially at the position indicated in dotted lines in FlG. 4.

For securing liners 4, 5 in the wings the perimetral flange 26) of each of the latter is provided near its free edge with a plurality of undercut recesses 21 respectively adapted to receive detents 22 adjacent the edges of its liner, the parts being so proportioned and arranged that during assembly the liner can be snapped into place after the detents and recesses are aligned to thereby hold the liner in position in its wing. stiffening ribs 23 and edge flanges 24- integral with the frame tend to enhance its rigidity and strength while ribs 25 integral with leaves 1:; perform a generally similar function and tend to enhance the spring action.

The wing liners 4, ll adjacent the hinge connections of the wings with the frame carry integral laterally spaced stops 26. 27 which after pivot pins l3, 14 have been en tered in SOCnfilS ltd, l7 and the liners snapped into place during assembly close the sockets to complete the bearings for the pins and prevent their separation from the sockets or detachment of the wings from the frame without first prying the liners from their assembled position.

For closing the gap between the forwardly projecting portions of the frame from which project pins l3, 14 each liner is preferably provided with an integral bushing drant Z8 sufficient in transverse width to substantially it and approximating the curvature of said portions, thus contributing to a simulation of a hinge having a full length pin extending from top to bottom thereof, thereby enhancing the aesthetic tuality and appearance of the holder as a whole.

it will now be apparent that the wings and their liners may be folded inwardly against the fname for packaging and shipment of the holder and when it is not in use or pivoting about their hinged connection with the frame, may be swun freely outward into a little less than generally parallel relation substantially as in FIGS. 12.

From this position, moreover, they lfilily be still further opened out against the increasing bias of leaves 15 following engagement of fingers therewith substantially to the dotted line position of HG. 4 to enable insertion of a roll of paper R between them into the hollow core of which bosses 7, 8 are entered as the wings are allowed to resume their normal position under the bias of leaves 15, to thereby support the roll as in 2. Thereafter the fingers 18 by relatively light engagement with the leaves 15 cause the liners to impose a moderate friction on the ends of the roll sufficient to prevent its too free rotation when a towel is being withdrawn with corresponding risk of over-running, while when the paper strip on the roll is exhausted or at any other time the wings can again be opened out to clear the bosses from the core and permit its removal preparatory to insertion of a fresh roll in a similar way.

It will now be apparent the holder comprises but five parts, four of which are identical pairs and all of which may readily be molded or otherwise formed from any suitable material although a thermoplastic one of appropriate color is preferred; further that assembly of the parts to complete the holder is a very simple matter effected merely by inserting the pivot pins at one end of the frame into the then open sides of the sockets in one of the wings, next sliding the liner for that wing to a position in which its stops fill said open sides aid finally snapping the liner into place in the wing, thus completing the hinge connection between that wing and the frame preparatory to connecting the other wing with the opposite end of the latter by a like series of operations. The liners through the stops which they carry thus perform not only the impontant function of completing the bearings for the pivot pins and thereafter maintaining them in their respective sockets but serve to define a chamber 3% in the wing assembly which contributes to the lightness of the wing as a whole and effects a large saving of material over that which would be required for a solid wing.

It will of course be appreciated that while I have herein shown and described with considerable particularity a preferred embodiment of the invention I do not desire or intend to be limited or confined thereto or thereby in any way as changes and modifications in the form, structure, arrangement and relationship of the several ele ments and components of the holder will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be utilized if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claiin and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A roll holder of the character described comprising a frame having proximate each end oppositely outwardly directed coaxial hinge pins and a pair of wings each providing laterally spaced substantially U-shaped sockets having their open sides directed generally toward the opposite ext emity of the wing respectively receiving the pins at the adjacent end of the frame, and means opena-tively connected with each wing and forming the inner face thereof carrying spaced stops respectively adapted to close the open sides of the sockets and retain the pins therein to thereby hingedlylock each wing to the frame.

2. A roll holder as specified in claim 1 having a resilient leaf intermediate the pins and in which each wing carries a finger aligned with the proximate leaf adapted to engage and thereafter flex the leaf when the wing is swung outwardly from the frame beyond a predetermined arc to thereby impose on the wing a pnogressively increasing resistance to further movement in like direction and an oppositely directed bias tending to return it toward the frame through a limited arc.

3. A roll holder as specified in claim 1 in which each wing has an inwardly directed periphenal flange and a liner interconnected therewith pnoviding a chamber between the liner and the wing, the liner at its end proximate the frame having laterally spaced stops adapted respectively to close the open side of the adjacent socket to complete the bearing for and loosely confine the pin disposed therein.

Lawson Aug. 4, 1936 Mayer June 12, 1962 

1. A ROLL HOLDER OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING PROXIMATE EACH END OPPOSITELY OUTWARDLY DIRECTED COAXIAL HINGE PINS AND A PAIR OF WINGS EACH PROVIDING LATERALLY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED SOCKETS HAVING THEIR OPEN SIDES DIRECTED GENERALLY TOWARD THE OPPOSITE EXTREMITY OF THE WING RESPECTIVELY RECEIVING THE PINS AT THE ADJACENT END OF THE FRAME, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY 